Wide Open Spaces Read online

  I absently hear him groan behind me, and then his hips press completely into mine and still as the sound of our heavy breathing fills the room. Resting my forehead on the bed, I try to catch my breath and get my heart rate under control. Having an orgasm before him was a crapshoot, but with Zach, it happens every time, and every time, it takes me by surprise.

  “Stay,” he commands, pulling out slowly. I whimper at the loss of him then turn my head and watch him walk into the bathroom, hearing the water start up.

  Coming back a second later, he has a washcloth in his hand and his eyes lock on mine. I learned during our second time together not to argue about this or to tell him that I can clean myself up. I don’t know why he insists on doing it, but he does it every time without fail. Relaxing onto the bed, he gently wipes me, and then I feel his lips on my back. Another thing he does sometimes if I’m on my back, he kisses my mouth or stomach before going back and rinsing the rag.

  “You’re good now, baby.” He says softly.

  “Thanks,” I say shyly, then reach down and grab my panties and jeans from the floor.

  “What should we do for dinner?” he asks, tucking himself back into his jeans and buttoning them up.

  “I don’t know. Something healthy-ish, because the kids ate all that junk food on the boat then on the plane,” I say, pausing with my own jeans pulled up to mid-thigh. “What?” I question, seeing the look on his face.

  “Nothing.” He grins, and I shake my head.

  “I think they have a Subway across the street. We could do that.”

  “Healthy,” he mutters, and I feel my face scrunch up.

  “What?”

  “It’s cute that you’re always trying to make the kids eat healthy.”

  “Vegetables are important, Zach.”

  “They are,” he agrees, smiling bigger, but the smile on his face says he thinks I’m being cute and I blow out a breath.

  “I know you, Steven, and Hunter believe lettuce and tomatoes count, but they don’t,” I say, jumping up to get my pants up over my hips then fastening the button.

  “Why’s that?” He raises a brow, resting his hands on his hips, and my eyes scan over his torso, wishing we didn’t have to get dressed. “You were saying?” he prompts, sounding far too cocky.

  “Well, for starters, lettuce is roughage and has no real nutritional value, and second, tomatoes are a fruit, so they don’t count either.”

  “Not sure they are going to have a buffet of vegetables at Subway, baby.”

  “Well, it’s better than Burger King or McDonald’s,” I mutter, grabbing my bra from his hand and putting it on. I take my shirt, which he picked up, from his grasp, only to be tagged around my wrist and pulled into his chest.

  “It’s a vacation. The kids never get to eat McDonald’s or Burger King, so if they want that stuff tonight, they can have it.”

  “What about you? You’re not as young as you used to be. You should be eating healthy too,” I say, and his face moves closer to mine.

  “Are you calling me old?”

  “No,” I breathe against his mouth, as his hand moves down, grabbing my ass, pulling my pelvis flush against his.

  “Good.”

  “Are you going to let me go, so I can put my shirt on?”

  “Don’t really want to, but yeah.” He nips my bottom lip then lets me go, and I slip my shirt on over my head.

  “Are you sure you and the boys will be okay all sleeping in here?” I ask, looking around the room with two double beds, a dresser, and a chair that pulls out into a bed.

  “It’s all good. I told you to stop worrying.”

  “I know. I just feel bad one of you is going to have to sleep on the pullout, while Aubrey and I each have a big comfy beds.”

  “Next trip, we’ll have our own room, the boys can share, and Bre can get a room for herself. They probably wouldn’t care now, but I want to give it—”

  “I agree with you,” I say, cutting him off. “It’s too soon.”

  He steps toward me, getting in my space, and I lean my head back to look up at him.

  “Sooner than later, I want you and Hunter at my house. I want you in my bed, next to me at night.”

  “You don’t have a spare room.” I point out quietly, and he dips his face closer to mine.

  “Then we’ll sleep over at your place.”

  “Do you think Steven will be okay with that?” I ask softly resting my hands against his chest.

  “He’ll be okay.” He slides a piece of my hair behind my ear. “Hunter is one of his buds now, and he loves the way you are with Aubrey. I know it’s taking longer for him to warm—”

  “I get it,” I interrupt him. “I love that he loves his mom and is loyal to her. I know this isn’t easy for him, but he’s been awesome, really awesome about everything.”

  “We have time to figure this all out, but I don’t want to wait a year either. The kids start school soon, and when they go back and winter rolls in, things around town slow down. I’d like to have some kind of plan in place before the first snow falls.”

  “Are you talking about moving in together?” I ask as my eyes widen.

  He sits on the side of the bed and takes hold of my hips, settling me between his spread thighs. “Moving in together, putting my place on the market.” He slides his hands up under my shirt. “Unless you want to move in with me. If we did that, Hunter and Steven would have to share a room. I don’t really want to do that to either of them. I’d like them to each have their own space. You have three more bedrooms than I got in my house, so it makes sense for us to move in with you.”

  “You’re serious?” I breathe, and his head tilts to the side, studying me.

  “Yeah.”

  “I don’t think this qualifies as going slow,” I point out, and he grins.

  “It’s slow to me.”

  “What if things go bad?” I ask, and he pulls me impossibly closer.

  “I don’t see that happening, but if it makes you feel more secure, we can rent out my place for the winter to the skiers who come in, make some money off it, and save the cash for our wedding.”

  “Now you’re talking about marriage?” I feel my eyes go impossibly wider, and he looks somewhere to my right, muttering something under his breath. “This is not slow!” I cry, smacking his shoulder.

  “The kids are happy. I am happy, and I think you’re happy too, unless I’m missing something.”

  “No, I’m happy, and I think the kids are happy, but living together and marriage…” He tugs me down to sit on his thigh then places his face an inch from mine, running his fingers through my hair, holding me in place.

  “I want us to start a life together—you, me, and the kids. I want to come home to you, go to sleep next to you. I want to hear you nagging the kids about eating vegetables over dinner, and listen to you call my daughter gorgeous in a way I know she feels it. I want all of that and more with you, until I take my last breath.”

  “If you make me cry, I won’t be able to explain that to the kids,” I say, feeling warmth spread through me and that hole inside of me fill up even more.

  “Then don’t cry. Just tell me you’re on the same page as I am. Tell me you want the same things I want.”

  “I want that—well, except the nagging part, since it’s not nagging, but good parenting. Kids should eat vegetables, and you could help me with that by eating them as well, without complaining,” I ramble, watching him smile.

  “I’ll eat my veggies, baby, as long as I get to eat you for dessert.”

  “Don’t turn me on before the kids come back either,” I grouch, and his smile turns smug.

  “Fuck, but I wish we had time,” he says against my mouth, before kissing me deep and wet, making me wish we had more time before the kids are due back.

  “What do you think about this top?” I ask Aubrey, holding up a cute, long-sleeved, navy blue shirt that is shorter in the front and longer in the back.

  “It’s cute,
but I don’t know if it’s me,” she says, and I hold it out in front of her, closing one eye.

  “It would look really adorable with a pair of the leggings you picked up, that black vest you chose, and your black mid-calf boots you wore a week ago,” I propose, and she takes it from my grasp, looking at it.

  “Do you really think so?”

  “Just try it on. If you like it, they have it in a few colors,” I suggest, and she shrugs then goes to the dressing room with an armful of clothes.

  This morning, before we left the hotel, I asked Zach about Aubrey’s clothing choices, and he told me that Tina has always been in charge of taking the kids clothes shopping. Since Aubrey has refused to be a part of it, Tina has just gotten her whatever, probably thinking if it’s hideous she will want to pick out her own stuff.

  I didn’t point out that her plan wasn’t working, but did ask if I could go with her to a few shops and show her some stuff. I’m not sure if he was just being a man or if he really wanted me to take her, but he agreed to my plan without any argument.

  Taking a seat outside the dressing room, I look at my phone and send a message to Zach, letting him know we should be done soon. He, Steven, and Hunter all left us two hours ago with plans to see some superhero movie. Hunter and Steven were done shopping and made it clear they wanted out of the mall. Zach wasn’t far behind them in reaching his limit, which was fine with me.

  “Do you really think this is okay?” Aubrey asks, stepping out of the room she went into moments ago. I drop my cell into my bag and lift my head.

  “Oh, my God,” I whisper. The shirt fits her perfectly and shows off her waist, and the leggings make her look young, hip, and very stylish. “It’s perfect, but how do you feel?” I ask, seeing she seems unsure.

  “I don’t know. It’s not what I’m used to, but it’s still comfortable.” She shrugs.

  “You look beautiful, honey,” I say gently, setting my bag in the chair next to me and standing. “And clothing doesn’t have to be uncomfortable to be stylish.”

  “I just don’t know if this is really me.”

  “You still look like you.” I grab the vest she picked out and help her into it then take a step back. “You’re a beautiful girl, and no matter what you wear, that beauty shines through.” She looks at herself in the mirror then looks at me and lets out a long breath.

  “Do you think I’m too fat to wear this?” she asks, and something uneasy hits me, but I move past it, remembering how I felt at her age. Hell, how I feel even now some days. The world can be a cruel place, and everyone seems to have an opinion of what beauty is and what a woman’s body should look like.

  “Not one part of you is fat, and I really hope you don’t think you’re overweight, because you’re not, not even a little bit.”

  “Steven has abs, and I—”

  “And you’re a girl. Girls have curves. We were meant to have curves. They’re nothing to be embarrassed about or feel unsure of. Right now, you have the body of a young girl, and one day, you will have the body of a woman. Your beauty should be embraced. It’s not always easy, but you should love who you are. You are perfect.”

  Swallowing, her eyes return to her reflection in the mirror then she turns this way and that. “I think I like it.” She bites her lip, looking at me.

  “I’m glad you do.” I smile.

  Smiling back, she asks softly, “Do you think I can get a few more like this one?”

  “Absolutely.” I nod, not caring even a little bit that I will probably blow the budget Zach gave me. Seeing her happy is worth any argument we may have.

  “Thanks, Shel.”

  “Anytime, honey,” I agree, meaning that more than she knows.

  An hour later, we are finally done shopping and the boys are out of the movie, so we meet them at the food court, where the boys talk nonstop about the movie they saw while eating burgers and fries. By the time we’re done eating, we only have an hour to get to the airport, so we book it to the hotel to pick up our bags then rush to the airport to catch our flight home to Cordova.

  Chapter 9

  Zach

  “Whose car is that?” I ask, and Shel looks back over her shoulder toward her house that we just passed, unhooking her belt.

  “I don’t know,” she mumbles.

  Shutting down the truck, I get out, open the back door for the kids, and then walk around toward the back of my truck, where I meet Shel.

  “Hunter,” a male voice calls out, and all eyes swing toward the house next door. I know the instant my eyes lock on the man standing on Shel’s porch, wearing a tailored suit and polished shoes, that he’s Shel’s ex-husband and Hunter’s dad. What I don’t know is what the hell he’s doing here.

  “Oh great,” Shel whispers, as Hunter’s quiet voice says, “Dad,” not sounding happy but worried. My eyes go to him, and I watch Steven take a hold of his arm and Aubrey step up next to him, both of them blocking him in on either side.

  “Max.” Shel moves around me before I have a chance to stop her. “What are you doing here?”

  “You told me I could come,” he states, and his words surprise me. Shoving his hands in his pockets, his eyes sweep over the group of us then go back to her.

  “Forget to mention something, baby?” I ask, and she looks up at me then rolls her eyes before looking back at Max.

  “No,” she says, moving toward her house, with me at her back. Pausing, she looks back at the kids, who are all still huddled together, and points at Steven. “Take Hunter to your house, honey. Your dad or I will be over to get him in a few minutes.”

  “Mom?” Hunter questions quietly, looking pale.

  “It’s okay, kiddo. Go with Steven and Aubrey. I’ll be over to get you in just a minute.”

  “Okay,” he agrees, and Steven wraps his arm around Hunter’s shoulders, leading him toward our front door, where I can hear Penny barking wildly, knowing that her people are all outside while she’s stuck in the house.

  “I came to see my son,” Max snaps, glaring down at Shel before transferring his scowl to me, as I walk up behind where she is stopped near the bottom of her steps, placing my hand against her lower back.

  “And who the hell are you?”

  “Zach Watters, town sheriff,” I state.

  His eyes flare then move back to Shel, as he asks, “Seriously?”

  “We’re not doing this out here,” she mutters, moving up the steps toward the door, opening it without using a key—pissing me off—and then proceeds to hold it open for us. As soon as we’re both inside, she slams the door and turns on Max, pointing her finger at him.

  “You cannot be serious.”

  “I didn’t come for drama, Shel. I came to see Hunter. He hasn’t been answering my calls, and neither have you.”

  “Have you lost your mind? Did you ever stop to think—?” She shakes her head and drops her eyes to the ground. “Never mind. Don’t answer that. We both know you didn’t stop to think. You never do. It’s always all about you, so screw how anyone else feels.”

  “I didn’t come here for this.”

  “Well then why did you come here?” She tosses her hands in the air.

  “I told you, I wanted to see Hunter.”

  “I’m glad. I know he will love having you around,” she says softly, then pulls in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “But this is not okay. What you did—What you’ve done has freaked him out. Do you understand that? You telling him he’s going to be moving back to Seattle with you freaked him out. He loves you, Max, and I know our son loves you, but he also loves me, and it’s not fair for you to make him feel like he has to choose between us.”

  “Exactly why are you here?” he asks, ignoring her and looking at me.

  “I’m here for Shel.” I lean back, crossing my arms over my chest, knowing if Shel wants me gone, she’ll tell me. Not that I’ll leave.

  “Zach being here has nothing to do with you understanding that our son was scared the second he heard your voice a
nd saw you outside our house a minute ago.”

  “I would never hurt him,” he snarls, leaning forward.

  Every muscle in my body tenses, as I growl, “Stand back.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do.”

  “You get in my woman’s face, and I’ll more than tell you what to do.”

  “Is this guy for real?” he asks, pointing at me while looking at Shel.

  “He is, only because you need to take a breath and calm down. I know you’re upset, and I know you wouldn’t hurt Hunter, not on purpose, but you did,” she says quietly, and he leans back, frowning.

  “He should have his dad.”

  “Yeah, he should, but it’s not fair to make him feel like he has to choose between the two people he should trust to make sure he’s happy and safe.”

  “He’s not choosing.”

  “He’s been happy, Max. Until all of this stuff with the lawyers and custody, he’s been happy. He’s been settling in, making new friends, going on adventures, but also looking forward to seeing you and sharing all of that with you.” She points at him, then asks quietly, “When was the last time he called to tell you about his day? Called to tell you about camp or his new friends?”

  “I told you I haven’t spoken to him in awhile, Shelby.”

  “I know, but do you wonder if maybe what you told him forced him to close down on you? He was excited to share something with you, and you freaked out on him and me.”

  “It was a bear, not a damn kitten.”

  “He was safe. I would never put him in danger. I would cut off my own hand before ever putting him in danger, Max. You know that,” she conveys, and his shoulders sag ever so slightly.

  “I miss him. I miss both of you,” he confesses, and it takes everything in me to keep in my place and my mouth shut.

  “Max, please don’t. I care about you. I will always care about you, but before we ended, we ended. The only thing I want is for Hunter to have both of us.”

  “You took him from me.”

  “I didn’t take him from you. I moved. I told you almost a year before I moved that I was going to get out of Seattle. You and I agreed Hunter should live with me.”